Thursday, January 24, 2013

As much of a tell-all person I have become since I started blogging, answering questions quite excite me now. And it doubly stimulates me if I will be the one to ask you. I remember when I was just starting blogging, I could have adjusted myself with silent reading, and get through the normal phenomena of checking stats, and agonizing over numbers of followers and counting the comments.
But then I realized blogging thrives in a give and take relationship. It has to be two-way. I realized that I might be denying you good people of hearing about who could bee the best literary genius this world could ever have (please don’t fire gun at me. We are all narcissistic people in some way, you know.) But really I am very thankful to you my readers--especially those of you have read this far.
*anaconda hugs to you all*

My special thanks to Buzz Lightyear for the Liebster award and Genskie for the Sunshine award. Sorry Genskie this is kinda late. But thanks nevertheless. I love the awards!
And to continue these awards to fly around the blogsphere, I am passing them both to these people who shed tears and blood to write their posts. They are:

Answer the 11 questions that the tagger has set for you PLUS you MUST create 11 questions of your own for the 11 people you will nominate with this award.

Choose up to 11 bloggers linking them to your post.
Go to their page and inform them of the nomination.
Absolutely NO tags back.

Remember to ONLY tag bloggers with less than 200 followers.

BTW, here are the questions I was obliged to answer:

How do you find time for blogging? I do it every other day. Begin writing on the first night and finish it off on the second night.

If you could travel back in time in a time machine what would be the top three times/places you'd visit? First, around 3 or 2 BC in Jerusalem to see Jesus Second, sometime 3000BC to AD313 to check Zeus and company and third,1884, year Jose Rizal wrote Noli Me Tangere.

What is the coolest thing you have ever built or constructed? A dried black pigeon perching on a branch. Feathers falling off. For biology class.

What is one historical story in your family that you are most proud of? Mother lives to tell how she witnessed the World War 2. She recounted digging a hole in the ground and came out only to get relief goods. I am proud of it. She witnessed what I only read from the book.

Do you like to cook or bake? No to both. Tried making this no-baked cereal bars last christmas, but it turned out like a slob of Elmer’s glue.

Have you ever found any interesting old artifact or something antique ?
None. I loathe them. They smell like old cabinet.

Do you have any pets? None.

Do you ever have a commonly recurring dream? None. My dreams are
often random.

Who would be your top 5 people from the past you would like to meet?

1.My husband. I’ll tease him that we’ll end up together in the future.

2.My ex. To plot a good revenge he’ll never forget.

3.My father. Ask him why he had done the things he had done.

4.Robby Rosa- the lead singer of Menudo. I thought I will be married to him.

5.My self. To tell her to go ahead and leave worries and insecurities behind because you are amazing, and are going to live a good life.

You won a huge amount of money in a lottery, you give your family half of the money. The other half you have to give away. What would be your top 3 ways to dispose the money?
1.Give to local charities.
2.Donate to impoverished countries
3.Pay off the country’s loan to World Bank.

Favorite movie? Fireproof.

Of course, here's my own set of eleven questions you need to answer.

What side of the bed do you sleep on?

Do you believe in ghosts?

If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life what would it be?

If you could only read one author until the end of time who would it be?

Would you rather serve a week in prison or try and survive for a year alone in a jungle?

How old are you?

If you were on death row, what would your last meal be?

What would you want to be written on your tombstone?

If anyone in the room could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do?

What was the last thing you said to someone?

If you had to choose between a millions bucks and being able to fly, which would you choose?

Sunday, January 20, 2013

As I read from Francis Kong's blog (feel free to click the link found down below at the left side): the wishbone will never replace the backbone says Will Henry. But to live life with joy, always be conscious that you too have a funnybone. I say with the war happening in Algeria?, or the rob-out in Atimonan? or the Manong Driver who kept on spitting every 10 seconds and his saliva flew through the window all over you, yes you could use some humor.
Don’t grow tired of finding comedy even in littlest thing. After all life is what you make it. Don’t turn sour each day. Think young, there’s a big difference between laughing and being laughed at.
Here are people I found hilariously funny in their own genre.

Jessica Zafra- not a professional comedian, but a professional writer. She writes well and I like her for being both witty and funny.

“If you're on a plane and the person in front of you starts slowly tilting to one side, it means he's letting out a fart. Take cover!”

Jon Santos- one of the few local comedians that I think deserves to be on this list. His impersonations of local celebrities and politicians are hilarious. Although he is not a "purist" stand-up comedian since he wears costumes, he is a complete performer and actually writes his own materials.

Bob Ong- a skilful Pinoy writer, who like Jessica Zafra, both witty and smart in his writing style. Until now he hides in his pseudonym and has never appeared at any book launching, not even his own, nor on TV.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Anyway, I thought it would be nice to make a special tribute to her today in this blog. I've talked about her a few times here and I know I've always said she's amazing. Well, she is and I swear I'm not just biased. Of course, she's not perfect but no one is, anyway.

Allow me to share with you some of the reasons why I think my friend here is awesome.

She is a giver and never asks anything in return.

She lent me her white dress that I wore to a wedding, and stays generous even if she is now half way across the world.

She is polite and never talked ill to anyone.

In one way she’s like a bra, always there to give me support.

In another way a four-leaf clover, hard to find but lucky to have.

And when we were still single and wandering about love and the boys, I almost hitched her to a married guy. But she never despised me. Yes readers, I am not normal some days.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Wikipedia said mid-life starts at 40. Technically I don’t fit in yet. I am only 39 this June. But for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that I just like to torture of reminding myself that I’ll be rocking 40 next year, I’d probably list this anyway because that will not be an easy transition. And what’s the best thing to do but to start putting those survival plans in order. As they say the earlier you talk about it, the better.

Here’s the list of awkward things to expect when you’re 40.

Somebody says: Mid-life is when the growth of hair on our legs slows down. This gives us plenty of time to care for our newly acquired mustache.

One woman says: “In mid-life women no longer have upper arms, we have wingspans. We are no longer women in sleeveless shirts, we are flying squirrels in drag.”

Mid-life is when you can stand naked in front of a mirror and you can see your rear end without turning around.

Mid-life is when you go for a mammogram and realize that it is the only time someone will ask you to appear topless on film.

Mid-life is when you want to grab every firm young lovely in a tube top and scream “Listen honey, even the Roman Empire fell, and those will, too!”

Mid-life brings with it the wisdom to know that life throws us curves and we’re sitting on our biggest ones.

Mid-life is when you look at your know-it-all, cell phone totting teenager and think: “For this I have stretch marks??”

In mid-life your memory starts to go. In fact, the only thing we can still retain is water.

Mid-life means that you become more reflective. You start pondering the “big” questions. What is life? Why am I here? How much Healthy Choice ice cream can I eat before it’s no longer a healthy choice?

But, mid-life also brings with it an appreciation for what is important.

We realize that everything sags, hips expand, and chins double, but our loved ones make the journey worthwhile. Would any of you trade the knowledge that you have now for the body you had back then?Now what’s your thought about it?

Monday, January 14, 2013

Meet the cute Ryzza Mae Dizon from Pampanga. She’s the latest addition to your favorite Eat Bulaga at lunch time. She was just your average 7-year old until last year, when she made her debut on the national television when she bagged the show’s Little Miss Philippines title. But the best, most exciting part? she is short, fair, flat nose but cute and beautiful just the same. And she’s the latest in a group of trailblazing kids who are making a difference just by being themselves. I love how times have changed now. Beauty is no longer what you see. It is how you feel in your own skin. No stereotypes.
As TAPE Inc.’s Tony Tuviera, the man behind the 30 years old Eat Bulaga said, "She is charming and equally deserving of same opportunities regardless of any physical, economic and social condition given to any child in the industry.”
Dance to her “Cha-cha” song and get that good, old belly dance.

She's the one whose clothes are neatly pressed, nails perfectly manicured, waist so narrow, house is immaculate, and children polite and behave. (Sigh). Mine are so wild sometimes, even Dora can’t explore them.
She is everything I am not.
But I'm trying. I'm really, really trying.
I know I told you I don’t have a resolution.
But I promised myself that for the New Year I will be the best me.
And I've really tried to stick with it--I'll spend wisely, eat better, stay active (*finger cross*), and take charge of all my work stuff.
But then there's me.
The me that everyone sees. Fat arms. Outdated clothes. My husband threatened to burn this one blouse I still use. He said he saw me in this blouse even before I gave birth to our eldest. I wonder if Sigmund Freud is right about penny-pinching.
I am always tired. My hair is flat. My nails are broken and unkempt.
Perhaps I'm being too hard on myself, but seriously? I don't feel great most days.
I feel like there's this person inside of me just waiting to bust a move in the outside world.
But instead she's buried in laundry and all the rest of the mundane chores a woman has to do every day.
So, this year I decided I'd change all that. I will work hard all weekends to get the house organized and in order. I’ll set time for manicure and pedicure.
But I woke up last Saturday morning and reality hit me: Saturdays are reserved for cooking, cleaning, and generally un-fun things. And Sundays are saved for ironing.
But thanks heaven, manicure I did.
But you know what happened when I hung my clothes up in the laundry?
I chipped the polish off of my newly manicured nails.
Gah.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Hello readers! Hope you have a good weekend..
Glad it’s over. New Year. Not complaining. Just saying. Sometimes the start of the year makes you over think. A lot more introspective than any other days in the year. All the people want to have a fresh start like new look, new girlfriend, new job, new life. The reasons why we write those tricky little bastards called resolutions, right? You see I have grown a little. I’ve changed. There’s a side of me that whenever this season comes, a change in year, I refused to be drawn in to the fiasco that always, always happens this time around. If nothing is coming, then why bother? Just keep on going. There's always a pause, a moment when you realized that stagnancy of life is not bad at all. And I like that I learnt how to play around things now.
How do we get through the things that we can't get through? How can we make sense of the unfathomable? Can't. Just have to keep going, do what we can. Strip it all back. The most important things in life aren't things. We are wiser than we know.
Dreams, like warts and mole, they grow back. At the precise moment of dreadful failures, the human spirit inside us instantly begins to plot its own survival. And a heart that is broken again and again, is stronger that we thought. It can swallow a big pride without choking, strike old wounds without being hurtful and defensive. Although I still don't understand the magnitude of life, who says we have to?
Saying yes to life makes it open up like an oyster.

My mother appeared at Social Security for the annual confirmation. It is the system’s way to check if the pensioner is still alive. She does this so they will continue her check. My father has pension too. But he died elsewhere, with a different family, years after their marriage broke up. I believe I have four or five younger half-siblings. I also learned that it's the other woman who picks up my father’s annuity.

I felt my mother has few misgivings whether to fight for it or not. Half of me can’t take it. It belongs to mother and she could use the money for her maintenance. And I feel for her. I punched my self-consciousness if it’s right to convince her to claim what’s rightfully hers. It took my whole life to be in a place where I believe I can make a difference. But my other side tells the other family needs it more. My father died a poor man. I strongly believe that we live more comfortably than them.

There’s a deep essence of something I don’t know. I'm just so, so sorry down here. I guess a sister is only as happy as its unhappiest half-sister or brother.
So while I wait for God to tell me what to do, I leave you loads of love, understanding and peace. Supersized, and with refills.

Monday, January 7, 2013

You can’t catch time when you’re busy catching your rowdy kids
Sorry friends. I miss you and I love you, but my hands were full. In as much as I want to yak all my stress up, converse where life has taken me so far, and convince you to death that I really took Zumba, there were lots of things on my plate. You know my kids. They trick me into “Ma, we need you more than you need friends”.
They make me feel this way all the time. Every time.
I met my college friends last December 31 and I miss them. I just couldn’t let this one pass. Gah, I miss going out. Sadly, I can’t do that as frequently as I want. And sadly, I met them with my brood.
The food was great, the place just fine. Only I had a nightmare on the first hours. I was no use to anybody because I was always busy with the kids. They need me like air. Forget the steep stairs, or the kidnappers. I fear them breaking the glass barriers anytime, falling straight down the concrete floors of Festival Mall in Alabang. Ang mahal kaya ng glass barriers.!
So to these people who I got the chance to share my life with, although very seldom I see and chat, I hope our ties will never end. And despite of the long times that went by we connected last, and the more time it takes to catch up, I know friendships are not about time and distance alone. It is about the heart that never forgets. I pray that our friendship will last forever. I pray that our kids will be friends too and share crazy stuff and relate stories only genuine people can value and understand.

To my one friend who feels that love is so elusive: Ease up. Don’t worry it will come in the right time. Feel good and look good. Love find its way to a heart that never stops dreaming and believing.

To my other friend who just entered her first romantic relationship: Enjoy the moment. Don’t fret about things you cannot control. Go with the flow. And let life takes it’s course. Sometimes when you release the reins, things fall into place naturally and simply. As they should.

And to you who suck up all the craziness of this world and still end up the best mom: I am so proud of you. You have already proven yourself. I adore your klutziness. You never hold back and that’s what makes you special. I pray you meet your one true love some day.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

After surviving a month of overindulgence of spaghetti and menudo, and massive amounts of bad cholesterol from lechong manok and lechong baboy, and overdose of sugar from fruit salad, graham cake and ice cream which is enough to make frosting for a small planet, and not to mention the empty calories and umay factor of MMFF movies (will anyone tell me when Enteng Kabisote and Shake Rattle and Roll will end?), today really is the beginning of a new world.
Apparently the Mayans are right in a sort of way.
And about this time everyone is also compelled to do their resolutions. They are tricky little bastards, aren’t they? Every year I make several resolutions, and by the end of January, they're usually forgotten, much like Jessica Sanchez after she came in second on American Idol.
Most years, I also find that somehow, no matter what I resolve to do, the opposite usually happens. Zumba? nakakain ba yun?
Since that's the case, I've finally smartened up a little and have decided to resolve to do the opposite of what I'd like to do. Without further ado, I am happy and excited to present to you:

*Ahem*

1. Screwed at life. This includes, but is not limited to: forgetting to shower for days at a time, being incredibly rude to other living things especially flying insects, and continue to carry books inside my bag for the whole year without reading them. All because Angry Birds are so much fun compared to them.

2. Gain Twenty Pounds. Do I need to lose weight? Yes. Do I want to? Sure. Am I willing to stop eating Tortillos and brownies? No. So, I knew it was stupid to make a resolution that I wasn't going to stick with. In fact, I would love to have even bigger arms, and my thighs are FAR too thin for my liking! Let's fatten them up, shall we?

3. Take really crappy care of my house. Continue to not know how to do things such as sew buttons back on clothing, properly iron my clothes, and put off doing laundry until husband is out of clean underwear.

4. To be more vain.. Spend all of my money on my dry hair, cracked nails, and other material things such as shoes, bags, etc. etc.

Kidding aside, all the goals and objectives we set are good parameters to see how are we becoming as a person, wife, neighbor or in any roles in between. It is like a little target we can check if we hit or miss. And like a game, in case we lose, we can start over and over again. There is no rocket science to explaining life’s success or failures. It is our perseverance and strength of will to go on despite of our present circumstances that all matters.
So friends, what were your resolutions?

About Me

My blog is about me, my family, and my random thoughts about life as a mother, wife, and every roles in between. If anything, blogging has expanded my mindset and has been a reminder to me of how diverse (and extraordinary) the world is.